Double Eagle II airport

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Double Eagle II Airport, New Mexico (West of ABQ):

Coming in for landing was this Bell LongRanger:

I asked a guy who was securing the helicopter, about the configuration.

I thought it would be some kind of MAD device, and he confirmed it. Designed by the US Navy, and transferred to civilian operations, this is the second iteration
of this apparatus; it is employed to search for unexploded ordnance on the fields West of the airport, which used to be a USAF bombing range. There are 5 MAD's in the crossmember, two real time GPS transmitters, there is a radar altimeter / and or laser device to help keep the helicopter at the same altitude (very low by the way) over the terrain.

I was told that they manage to scan approximately 500 acres per day, and anything that is detected is superimposed on a topo map of the region, for further exploration and disposition / deactivation by EOD.

Saludos,

Tulio

Chuck Gardner · **Posted:** Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:52 pm

Well, since no one said anything to this topic, I thought I would say something so it wouldnt just fade away. Here goes:
What the hell are you doing out there in the middle of no where?

Tom Crawford · **Posted:** Sat Oct 15, 2005 9:35 pm

I envy you . I still have to work for a living so the WIX is one of my only outlets to maintain sanity. I would like to retire and tour the country in search of Warbirds and museums. Just find my wife a slot machine and a
bowl of quarters and I could escape.....go man go....Tom

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Tom, Chuck:

I still MUST work for a living, so wherever work takes me, I usually find the airports nearby and try to get the photos . . .

I not only get to meet interesting people (today, I met a guy who used to work for Cavalier aircraft....) but also get to see a lot of the country this way.

Saludos,

Tulio

PJ · **Posted:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 9:26 am

Tulio,
I don't know your current location, but the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico (just outside El Paso) is a great one. They used to fly the aircraft on weekends, but think they stopped due to liability.
PJ

BLR · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 2:47 pm **Posts:** 425

Hi Tulio,

Nice pixs, thanks for posting them. Re: the CT-133, I thought N33HW was aircraft number 21375 but the numbers in the picture show it as 21376. Looks like the number may have been changed from a 5 to a 6, anyone know why?

Brian....

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

PJ:

Thank you; Santa Teresa is a possibility although the drive is way too long to be achieved in one day round trip, and I am only getting one day off instead of two.

BLR:

When I shot the photo of the data on that T-33 (which by the way, seems to belong to the same outfit that has the other jets in Santa Fe) I did not notice anything odd with the last digit, and I looked at it from up close.

Saludos,

Tulio

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

BLR:

Your question regarding the different serial number on the T-33, left me thinking... I am the first one to recognize that my eyes are not what they used to be, and I am still 100% sure that I did not see anything strange on the serial numbers, BUT I decided to enlarge the photo, and YES, there seems to be some alteration . . .

With my apologies, and saludos...

Tulio

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Double Eagle II airport

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